


i lost my head in san francisco

by captainpress



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-20 22:54:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9519638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainpress/pseuds/captainpress
Summary: Christen and Kelley are supposed to be each other's date at the wedding of a Stanford acquaintance they aren't particularly fond of. When Kelley has to cancel at the last minute, Christen ends up asking Tobin to go with her, not imagining for a second something could go wrong. Until it does. And really, this is all Kelley's fault.





	1. wrong colors

“You are  _not_  being serious right now!” 

The high-pitched voice echoed in the room in a strangled shout. It was that specific tone between disbelief, anger, and immediate panic. The kind of tone Tobin wasn’t particularly eager to hear at that time in the morning, whatever the time was. She rolled over in her bed, groaning at the bright light coming through the windows and lifted the light blue sheets above her head. It was too early, way too early, she thought, as she plunged her head into her pillow.

Christen turned her head towards her teammate’s bed and bit her lip when she saw the sluggish movements under the covers. She had really tried to be quiet. Her footsteps against the carpeting created a comforting sound, soft but firm at the same time and it almost brought Tobin back to sleep. She could barely hear the muffled voice of Christen’s interlocutor through the phone.

“I know-" Christen stopped mid-sentence, interrupted by the person on the other end. “Kelley, I know.” 

The mention of her teammate’s name spiked Tobin’s interest. She turned to face Christen and lowered the covers just under her nose. The sun burned her eyes, forcing her to close them again while she adjusted to the light. She could see Christen’s figure pacing in the room, more agitated than she used to be. 

“No, I’m not mad. I’m just- I don't know what to do.”

Christen ran a hand through her hair, still a little damp. The way the sunlight hit the black curls made her look like she came from another world. 

“You know this isn't an option,” Christen said. She wasn’t trying to whisper anymore and if her irritated voice gave anything away, Kelley had touched a nerve. “Well, it might sound stupid to you but I need to go.” 

She briefly looked at Tobin who didn't try to pretend to be asleep. First, there was no way Christen could have missed the pair of chocolate eyes following her movements for the past minute. Second, the conversation clearly wasn't private enough for the younger woman to take the call in another room, meaning Tobin's presence didn't make her uncomfortable.

Tobin swung her legs over the mattress and sat on the edge of the bed, readjusting her shorts. She removed the elastic band holding her hair up in a messy ponytail and let it fall on her shoulders. Rubbing her eyes, she passed her hand through her hair to get rid of eventual knots. She thought about seeing her family soon, about going home. Camp was over and they had a week of break. What else could she possibly ask for?

Christen’s state of mind, however, differed from Tobin’s. She was still pacing in the room, clutching her phone so tight her knuckles went white and Tobin thought she was about to crush it. The phone’s life stopped being threatened as the conversion seemed to be coming to an end.

"Sure,” Christen sighed, her tone lighter than before and a small sad smile on her lips. “Yeah. I love you too. I’ll see you later.”

She put the phone away from her ear, threw it on her bed and ran her hand across her face. Scratching the back of her neck, she mindlessly tapped on the dresser next to her. Her nails hit the wooden surface repeatedly at an even rhythm. 

Tobin waited for the noise to stop to start the conversation but it never did, so she asked, “Everything’s alright?” 

Christen lifted her head up and forced a smile. She thought about lying to Tobin for an instant, about letting her friend distract her from this whole situation like she knew Tobin would. But the older woman was very well aware that it was indeed,  _not alright._

"No.” 

“What is it?” 

Christen sat on her bed, her hands tucked under her thighs and her head down. It made Tobin think about a child who had just discovered the truth about Santa Claus and who was trying to make her peace with it. Her smile disappeared when Christen stayed like this for a little too long. 

“We don’t have to talk about it,” Tobin said, leaning towards the other girl before gently squeezing her knee.

“It's alright." Christen spoke louder than she intended to, startling Tobin. “I mean, it’s nothing serious. A pretty stupid situation, really.”

“I told you about the day I knocked myself out,” Tobin reminded her and Christen gave away a faint smile at Tobins's grin. “I can handle stupid.”

Christen sighed heavily and got up from the bed to grab her purse. For a few seconds, it was nothing but the sound of car keys clashing against coins and pieces of paper being crumpled unceremoniously. Finally, she pulled out what was looking like a piece of white cardboard and handed it to Tobin without any explanations. She grabbed some change and headed to the door.

“I’m going to get coffee. What do you want?”

“Christen.” She hummed in response, focused on the doorknob. “What’s this?” Tobin showed the paper, an intrigued look on her face.

“A wedding announcement?” Christen tried.

Tobin pointed at the tanned hand still on the doorknob and then at Christen’s bed. The younger woman caved in and closed the door. She went back to her previous place and sat the exact same way, casting a sheepish smile at Tobin, who leaned back on her hands.

"A girl I met at Stanford is getting married on Sunday. We used to hang out with the same group of people. I never liked her. End of the story." Christen shrugged before Tobin's imperturbable face. "And Kelley promised me we'd go together - a pinky promise, you know how much that means for her - but she had to cancel because of some family reunion."

Christen waited for a reaction that never came from her friend. When she decided she had sat in silence long enough, she made a move to stand up but Tobin lifted her hand for her to stop. 

"Can I ask you something?"

Christen sighed and gestured for her to speak, "Ask away."

"Remind me why you're going to the wedding of someone you hate, again?"

"Look, you probably think it doesn't make any sense-"

"From what I've heard from your phone call, it's not just me thinking it's a terrible idea," Tobin cut her off.

"- but you don't know her like I do. If I decline the invitation and refuse to show up, she'll make it look like I'm so full of myself. Oh, you know Christen," she flashed a dazzling smile, her voice a tone too high, and insisted on every syllable, "out there acting like the superstar she believes she is. No time for old friends."

Tobin chuckled. "Why do you even care?"

"I don't." Tobin tilted her head, unconvinced. "Everything about her is just so... Her whole personality, her bright smile, her stiletto nails ready to slit your throat," Christen rambled, "it's all fake. She acts like the kindest person alive but she only waits for the right time to destroy you."

"Come on, Press. It sounds like you two were involved in a cat-fight in preschool and refused to bury the hatchet."

"If you had met this woman once in your life, you'd be convinced I'm not imagining this."

Tobin lifted her hands up, giving up.

"What are you going to do, then?" 

"I have no idea." 

However, Christen seemed to have quickly found one when her ID lit up Tobin's phone screen in the middle of the night, two days later. Tobin picked up after letting out an exaggerated sigh for good measure (because, really, she had to be _at least_ a little annoyed at Press calling her at three thirty in the morning). Four minutes later, she was the one who had to cancel her plans for the weekend. 

* * *

Bolts of lightning were streaking the dark sky when Tobin parked her car at the airport. There was no sign of Christen and she wondered whether or not she should brave the storm and try to find her. A UNC hoodie, a pair of navy blue shorts and bright orange sneakers were all she had on and sure, she didn't usually mind how she was dressed to pick someone up but that was definitely off limits. She stared at the digital clock of the car, counting the seconds in her head as accurately as she could but the numbers never changed at the right time and she gave up after her third attempt. The sudden knock on the window startled her.

"Oh my god," Tobin muttered, recognizing her friend's figure.

She could see Christen's grin in the night, clearly pleased with the way she had just scared her teammate. Tobin unlocked the trunk and leaned back against the headrest. She took a deep breath, her heart still beating way too fast. 

Christen put her suitcase in the trunk of the car and opened the passenger door a few seconds later. She shook her umbrella outside and let it fall behind her seat. Finally, she shut the door and turned her head towards Tobin, a bright smile on her lips.

"Don't smile at me like that. I'm picking you up at the airport in the middle of the night and you think scaring me is the best way to thank me?"

Christen just laughed and squeezed Tobin's shoulder, whispering a "thank you".

"How was your flight?" Tobin inquired, starting the car.

"Boring but I slept for a while. Do you want me to drive?"

Tobin shook her head, "I'm good. Plus, you don't even know where I live."

"I do know where you live."

Christen's offended tone left a smirk on Tobin's lips for the end of their short journey to her apartment. They spent most of it bickering about whether or not Christen could have driven them back to Tobin's place without any indication. To what Christen asserted she knew Portland like the back of her hand, making Tobin laugh heartily at the blatant lie. It had stopped to rain when Tobin parked her car and quickly stepped out to take Christen's suitcase from the trunk.

Christen tried to get the suitcase back from her friend's hand but Tobin held onto it tightly, claiming the Christen was her guest and it was only normal for her to take care of her luggage. She started walking towards the building's entrance before Christen could roll her eyes at her antics.

When the satisfying _click_  of the door lock resonated in the hallway, Tobin sighed with content at the prospect of having a good night sleep. She motioned for Christen to cross the threshold before closing the door behind her.

Tobin kicked off her shoes and turned on the lights to see Christen leaning back against the kitchen counter. She took two glasses from a cupboard and set them down next to Christen.

"Wine?"

"Don't pretend to be an adult, Tobin. Get me that raspberry and banana juice you love so much."

"I'm not _pretending_ to be an adult," Tobin huffed and Christen raised her eyebrows. "I actually have wine."

A genuine smile found its way on Christen's lips and she let out a small laugh.

"I'm teasing you." She let her fingers ghost over Tobin's wrist to emphasize her point.

Tobin stuck her tongue out at her and opened the fridge to get the bottle. She filled the glasses, announcing, "Juice it is, then."

Drinks were sipped in silence, both of them enjoying the silence and the occasional claps of thunder. Christen briefly scanned Tobin's apartment. It hadn't changed much since the last time she had been there with Alyssa, after an away game against Portland. There were a few framed pictures she didn't remember being there before and a plant near the window. It was a miracle Tobin had managed to keep it alive, she thought.

Tobin finished her drink in one go and hopped on the counter.

"So," she started, "our flight to San Francisco is at eleven tomorrow morning. I only found one motel with an available room near the place but it's just for a night so I thought it'd be okay with you." She shot Christen a questioning look. "Is it?"

"You booked a room for us?" Tobin nodded. "But I told you to let me handle it! I'm already dragging you into this, the least I can do is to take care of everything."

"Are you mad?" Tobin asked, unsure, when she heard Christen's tone.

"Wha- No, of course I'm not mad," she sighed, smiling. "Thank you."

Tobin shrugged. "I knew this whole thing stressed you out. I didn't want you to worry about a hotel room reservation."

Christen shook her head, still smiling. She put her hand around Tobin's arm and leaned her face closer to leave a kiss on Tobin's cheek, skin heating up under her lips.

"You don't have to do all of this." Tobin opened her mouth to protest but Christen lifted her hand to stop her. "I'm serious. You're too nice."

"So I guess you'll take the couch, then?" Tobin smirked.

Christen shrugged, not looking opposed to the proposition and Tobin cursed herself for probably giving her an idea. Before the younger woman could open her mouth to agree, Tobin rushed to the suitcase and dragged it in her bedroom, Christen on her heels. She let the suitcase down at the foot of the bed and leaned back against the wall while Christen plopped down on the bed.

"There are extra towels in the bathroom. We need to leave around nine thirty tomorrow morning. And that's pretty much it," Tobin stopped, thinking about something she could've forgotten. "If you need anything, I'll be..."

"On the couch."

"On the couch, yeah," Tobin chuckled, scratching the back of her neck.

"Sure you don't want the bed?"

"I'm _fine_ , Chris. Just get a good night sleep, yeah?"

"You know it's funny." Tobin tilted her head, waiting for Christen to elaborate. "I thought I was the one stressing out about this whole weekend but you look pretty pale. I didn't think you'd be anxious."

"Maybe I'm not anxious but just tired since I had to pick _someone_ up in the middle of the night."

Christen rolled her eyes, unable to hold back her laugh. "It's eleven, Tobin."

"I need to sleep early. Aren't you the one who said that I was a child... wait, what was it? 'Pretending to be an adult.'"

She poorly tried to impersonate her friend, her voice way too high. Christen grabbed the closest pillow on the bed and threw it at Tobin's face. "I don't talk like _that_."

"You'd be surprised," Tobin grinned and they both ended up laughing.

Christen sighed, shaking her head at Tobin's comeback and got up from the bed. She searched for something to sleep in for the night. Tobin took this as her cue to leave and headed to the door.

"Goodnight, Press."

Hearing her name, Christen looked up from the pile of clothes in front of her. "Night, Heath. And you know," she added as Tobin walked away, "if the couch turns out to be too uncomfortable..." she trailed off, nodding towards the bed.

"Yeah, in you dreams," Tobin smirked.

Christen huffed at Tobin's words and for the second time of the night, she ended with something thrown at her face - this time it was one of Christen's shirts.

"I'm keeping this." She showed Christen the shirt she held tightly in her fist and left the room before the other girl could say anything.

"Tobin!"

"Can't hear you."

"I was trying to be nice. I'll take something from your stuff," she tried, hoping the midfielder would give her shirt back to her.

The only answer she received was a faint "goodnight" coming from the hallway and she could hear Tobin's smile in her voice. She opened Tobin's closet - she hated to go through her personal things but two could play this game - and when her eyes landed on a baby blue shirt, which was definitely from UNC, she knew she had found the right one. Grabbing a pair of shorts, she went to take a shower while Tobin settled in the living room for the night.

Christen's shirt was on the armrest of the couch were Tobin had abandoned it. Once she had washed the two glasses they had used earlier and got herself a blanket and a pillow, she took her sweatshirt off and slipped the grey shirt on. Bright red letters were ornamenting the soft fabric and she didn't have to stare any longer to realize what word they formed.

Eventually, they both fell asleep wearing the wrong colors, a smile on their lips. Nothing could possibly go wrong at a wedding anyway.


	2. warm beers and cold reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the sweet comments on the first chapter. Hope you'll enjoy this one as well :)

The way too bright phone screen displayed numbers which made Christen groan into the mattress. The night went by unpleasantly for her. She kept tossing and turning, rolling on her stomach, on her back, pushing away the covers or wrapping herself up in them. But she was always too hot or too cold. The way she lay down ended up with her arm and or leg stuck under her body and normally she wouldn't have even noticed it but it was like her brain had decided to focus on her limbs and not on the fact she would have to get out of bed barely four hours later.

At first, she had thought her inability to fall asleep was a consequence of her flight from Chicago, since she had slept for a while. But she stopped kidding herself quickly. She had spent enough nights similar to this one to know anxiety had taken over her. Maybe Tobin had been right the first time they had talked about this. Maybe she should've declined the invitation and put her pride aside. It would've cost her a few spiteful comments but again, she received some of those every single day. It wouldn't have been the end of the world. Tobin would've gone back to her family, as she had planned. And she would have been sound asleep by now.

Christen sighed and ran a hand across her face, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

"Get it together, Press."

She considered going to the kitchen to pour herself a cold drink but the chances of waking Tobin up in the process were too high and it convinced her to abandon the idea. She ended up settling for a trip to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face as quietly as possible. She realized that "splash" and "quietly" were two words that didn't work together. So she shortened her trip to the bathroom and went back to the bedroom. If anything, the small drops of water rolling down her temples made her even more aware of her restlessness.

She paced the room, waiting for her eyelids to feel heavy but the sweet deliverance of sleep didn't hit her before a good thirty minutes.

Tobin woke up before the alarm she had set, completely rested. She put her arm under her head and closed her eyes, enjoying a few seconds of silence. A minute or two later, she got up from the couch and stretched her arms. She half-opened the roller shades and made coffee, waiting for Christen.

When the younger woman finally entered the room, she found Tobin sitting on a stool at the bar, a cup of coffee in her hand. She looked like she had spent a good night and Christen found herself being jealous of her friend's sparkling eyes when she thought about the four hours of sleep she had had at most.

"Rough night?" Christen turned her head towards Tobin. "I heard you moving around."

"I'm sorry. I tried not to wake you up," she said with a small apologetic smile.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and filled it until it was almost brimming over. She took the first sip and the scorching hot liquid burned her tongue but she couldn't care less.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" Tobin asked when she saw Christen's tired eyes.

"Barely."

Christen sat on a stool beside Tobin and ran her hand through her hair.

"You know, if you had trouble sleeping," Tobin started, "you should've have joined me on this amazing couch."

She quickly spun on the stool to face Christen who laughed and punched her arm.

"Shut up."

"I'm serious, I slept like a baby. I would've shared," Tobin smiled.

Christen finished her coffee and hopped off the stool to refill the cup. She was about to add a bit of milk when she felt Tobin's eyes on her. She turned around to find brown eyes staring at her intensely.

"What?"

"Well look at _you_ , wearing the enemy's colors." Tobin had just noticed the shirt Christen was wearing. "So you really did go through my clothes," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"You started this," Christen countered, pointing at the shirt Tobin had stolen from her the night before.

"How does it feel to betray your Cardinals?"

"Kelley is the one who's obsessed with her 'Stanford loyalty', not me," Christen corrected her, chuckling. "She'd have a stroke if she saw me like that."

Obviously, the only thing Tobin wished for after this confession was to send Kelley a picture of Christen in UNC gear to see her teammate reaction. She picked up her phone to snap a picture of Christen. Before clicking on the icon, she asked her, "Can I?"

"Wait. Do you have something else?"

"What do you mean? Like UNC stuff?" Christen nodded. "Sure. Give me a second."

Tobin quickly got down from the counter and disappeared in her room. Christen smiled fondly at the girl. They clearly didn't have time for this and she knew Tobin was doing everything she could to calm her down. A diverse range of noises erupted from the the room while a litany of curses rolled off Tobin's tongue. When she heard a loud thud, Christen asked the other woman if she needed any help but Tobin grunted something that Christen took as a "no, it's alright". A few seconds later, she finally joined Christen in the kitchen, a pile of white and baby blue clothes in her arms, a bit disheveled. She let it all down on the bar and waited for Christen to pick something.

"Wow," Christen laughed, going through everything in front of her. "What's you guys' problem with college stuff?"

"Excuse me?"

Tobin hooked her thumb under the collar of the Stanford shirt she was wearing and pulled on it to emphasize her point.

"It's _one_ shirt, Tobin. You have like, a hundred different things."

Christen picked out a few items, examining everything. She took the snapback and shook her head.

"Obviously, you have one of those," she said, adjusting it on Tobin's head. "Looks good on you."

"I know."

Christen saw the satisfied grin stretching Tobin's lips and she flicked the peak of the hat. "Don't be cocky." 

She got sweatpants out of the pile and slipped them over her night shorts. Then her eyes landed on a random football player's bobble-head.

"Oh my god," she whispered and she had to channel all her strength to hold back her laughter.

Tobin crossed her arms. "This was a gift."

"No way someone bought you this," Christen laughed, lightly hitting Tobin's nose with the figurine.

"Stop it." Tobin pushed away Christen's hand. "You're good? We need to hurry up or we'll miss the plane."

Christen leaned back against the counter and sighed heavily, playing with her fingers. For a second, she had forgotten about the week-end.

"Maybe we should cancel it all," Christen said, her head down. "I'll get you tickets to Jersey and -"

"Hey." Tobin cut her off. She put a finger under Christen's chin and searched for her eyes. "It'll be fun, alright?"

Christen looked unconvinced and offered Tobin a weak smile.

"If you genuinely smile, I'll get you UNC flip-flops for Kelley's picture."

Christen laughed heartily, "You're an idiot."

Tobin waited for Christen to put on baby blue sunglasses to finally take a picture. She selected Kelley on her contact list and added the picture to the text, typing  _Christen says hi_ before sending it. 

Tobin set her phone down on the bar and left the room to go take a quick shower. At the same time, Christen took off the sweatpants and the sunglasses. She gathered everything Tobin had brought to the kitchen and took it back to her room, putting it down on Tobin's bed. When the midfielder exited the bathroom wrapped in a towel to tell Christen it was all hers, the younger woman rapidly glanced at her toned body. She shook her head, smiling and her cheeks heating up, before heading to the bathroom with her clothes.

Twenty minutes later, both suitcases and their owners were standing in the kitchen, ready to leave the apartment. Tobin motioned for Christen to go first so that she could lock the door. As they got out of the building, Tobin's phone vibrated in her back pocket.

 

> **Kelley** : _Looks like we have a traitor in the house. Tell Press I won't say hi back until she burns that shirt._

She laughed and showed the text to Christen who told her she knew Kelley too well. They went the same way as the night before but this time Christen drove them to the airport. She wanted to prove Tobin she _did_ know Portland like the back of her hand and she wasn't going to let it go. As a result of Christen's stubbornness, they barely made it in time for their flight.

* * *

 "So, tell me everything. I need to be prepared."

The plane had taken off a few minutes before and Tobin tried to get Christen's attention as she watched the landscape through the window. She had restrained herself from asking Christen any question regarding the weekend during the last few days but she needed some information now. Tobin was looking at her with sparkling and Christen admitted defeat.

"What do you want to know?" she asked, resigned to satisfy Tobin's curiosity.

Tobin shrugged. "What do I need to know? Am I supposed to be Kelley?"

Christen asked her what she was talking about.

"Kelley should've been your date. Am I supposed to pretend I'm her?"

Christen shook her head no, "She's from Stanford. She knows Kelley. Actually, she was invited as well."

Tobin hummed at the information and sat up straight, shifting a little in her seat to face Christen a little more. It was the sign she was going to start her questioning.

"What's her name?"

"Megan."

"How old is she?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Who is she going to marry?"

"Joshua Clark."

"Could you make this conversation interesting?"

Christen glanced at Tobin and shrugged. "They're boring."

"Usually, you make everything interesting. It doesn't matter what you're talking about. So really, you're not trying even the slightest here."

A smile plastered on her lips, Christen asked, "You think I make things interesting?"

"You do," Tobin assured. "Remember when you explained to me that smoothie recipe? I actually listened. And I don't even like smoothies."

"That's not true, you have smoothies all the time."

"Only when people make them for me," Tobin corrected.

"And I can't believe you tried to compliment me using smoothies. This is terrible," Christen went on, chuckling.

"And I can't believe you're using my terrible compliments to change the main subject," Tobin countered. "Now, tell me something funny about them."

"They're not fun."

" _Christen_."

"What? I haven't seen her in years and I don't know the guy."

Tobin furrowed her eyebrows. "Then how do you know his name?"

"The invitation, Tobin," Christen said as if it were obvious.

Tobin asked to see it and Christen searched for the white piece of cardboard in her bag. She handed it to Tobin who examined it intensely like an evidence on a crime scene. Christen leaned towards her friend to look at the invitation as well.

"It's a miracle if this damn paper doesn't have my name typed in some awful bold font under a  _special guest_ category," she sighed.

"Maybe this Megan girl is not that wrong and you're a little full of yourself," Tobin teased after Christen's remark.

Christen huffed, "This past few week, at least eight people I hadn't been in touch with since college called me to know if I was planning to go. Eight, Tobin. She probably told them I was going. And they don't even like me, like we weren't close or anything, so why would she even talk to them about me?" Christen rambled and Tobin smiled softly at her. 

"Do you ever let your brain be? Or are you always making things up like this?"  

Christen didn't reply. She closed her eyes and sank into her seat.

"Get some sleep," Tobin said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Christen hummed, probably agreeing with Tobin. It didn't take her long to enter the world of dreams and her head fell to the side, resting on Tobin's shoulder for the end of the flight. Tobin decided to listen to music as she tried to steady her breath, based on Christen's. It felt like their heartbeats matched and she almost fell asleep as well, the music inefficient to keep her awake.

Two hours later, they were out of the airport, their luggage in taxi and on their way to rent a car. When Tobin had asked her why, Christen had replied it would calm her down to drive and Tobin didn't dare to argue. They ended up in a car, Christen at the wheel, in the middle of San Francisco.

"If you know San Francisco as well as Portland, I'm afraid we'll miss the wedding," Tobin teased.

"I won't even acknowledge your cutting remark," Christen smirked proudly.

At the same time, her stomach rumbled and they decided to stop to grab a bite. Christen kept driving until she noticed a parking spot near a small bakery. They entered the bright shop and started to look at the displayed baked goods. Christen also spotted a few tables at the back of the room, some of them already occupied, the sound of chatters echoing against the wall. The young man behind the counter asked them what they needed. He waited for Christen to talk but her eyes landed on something, or more precisely someone, and she was incapable of saying anything.

"I'll have a chocolate muffin, please," Tobin said when Christen stayed silent.  
  
"You've got to be fucking kidding me."  
  
Tobin stared at Christen, confused, "Uh.. you don't like choc-"  
  
"She's _here_ ," Christen whispered.  
  
"Who's here?"  
  
"Megan."  
  
Tobin tried to look over Christen's shoulder but the move owed her a kick in the shin followed by a warning glare as she was about to protest.  
  
"Low profile," Christen groaned.

A cough from the server brought them back to reality. Tobin asked him to get the same thing for Christen and added a few other pastries. Christen tried to hide her face with her hair as well as she could while Tobin paid for their purchase. All plans to sit at one of the tables to enjoy a moment of calm were cancelled and forgotten. The only thing she wanted to do was to get back to the car and drive away from this hellish place. But when they had almost reached the door, what she knew was bound to happen finally did.

"Christen?"

The name rolled hesitantly off a blonde woman's tongue who Tobin immediately knew was Megan.

"Fuck," Christen muttered, "here we go." She put her hand on Tobin's arm when she shot her a questioning look. "Just stay here, I'll be right back."

She turned away from the double-doors of the bakery and forced a smile on her lips but she could _feel_ how fake it looked. Megan stood up from her seat, followed by a teenage girl and walked towards her.

"I almost didn't recognize you!"

 _Would've been great if you didn't_ , Christen thought. The woman, slightly taller than her, wrapped her arms around her shoulders and gave what would have been a warm hug if Christen had enjoyed a hundredth of a second of it. Tobin was close enough to hear and see the majority of what was happening. Megan let go of Christen and stepped back.

"So, how are you?"

"Getting married tomorrow, no big deal," Megan laughed.

"Right."

Tobin's teeth sank into the inside of her cheeks to hold back a laugh and the metallic taste of blood left an unpleasing taste on her tongue. Christen wasn't even trying. But it didn't seem to bother the bride-to-be.

"Kelley texted me she wouldn't be able to make it," she said with a pout and Christen mentally noted to ask Kelley why in hell she still had the woman's number in her contact list. "Weren't you guys supposed to come together?"

"Yes, we were."

"What is it with you being stood up?" Megan laughed again.

It seemed that they were sharing a inside joke but Christen wasn't laughing. She wasn't even smiling. Tobin didn't hear every single thing they were saying but she could clearly see Christen's clenched jaw from time to time and it made her dislike the blonde woman on the spot. Megan apparently felt the discomfort and introduced the teenage girl next to her to Christen.

"This is my niece, Melissa."

"Nice to meet you," Christen smiled at the girl and it was definitely the first genuine smile that had found its way on her lips since the beginning of the conversation.

"Christen plays professional soccer," Megan explained. "They never have time for themselves, it's crazy. I wasn't sure you'd be able to come to be honest. Maybe it's a good thing you don't have so much of a personal life after all."

Christen tried to tell herself not to take it personally but it was too much. She was too proud for that and she wasn't her twenty-year-old self anymore, who would've put up with this. She didn't think for a second about what she was doing. She just flashed a bright smile to Megan and took a few steps back to gently grab Tobin's arm and pull her towards the two other women.

"Actually, this is Tobin. My date." Her smile was bright, her teeth were showing but her tone was ice cold.

Megan furrowed her brows, "Your date?" Christen hummed. "As in your _date_ date?"

"Yes. My _date_."

Tobin looked rapidly back and forth between the two women in front of her, wondering how they could have a conversation only using the word "date" in different tones. Then she remembered the beginning of Christen's sentence. She was the date, the _date_ date. Tobin froze up on the spot.

Megan moved to shake Tobin's hand. "Nice to meet you, Tobin."

The woman was clearly unconvinced about Tobin being Christen's _date_ date and Tobin had no idea what to do. Instinctively, she put her arm around Christen's waist and let her hand rest on her hip. She made sure not to apply any pressure, barely touching the fabric of her shirt. She felt ridiculous and she prayed for her cheeks and neck not to be burning red. Christen pushed Tobin's hand on her hip with her arm and even if the contact felt unusual, Tobin relaxed under her touch, knowing Christen was the one initiating this.

"Did Christen finally find a woman who meets  _all_  of her criteria?"

Tobin let out a nervous laugh, unsure whether she was supposed to be friendly towards the woman or not. She didn't even have to try to look embarrassed; she already was. She nervously scratched the the back of her neck,waiting for Christen to say something.

"Looks like it. Now if you'll excuse us..." Christen trailed off, indicating they had somewhere else to go.

"Sure, I'll see you both tomorrow, then."

After one last forced smile, Christen grabbed Tobin's hand and dragged her to the door, opening it with her free hand. As soon as they stepped outside, Tobin opened her mouth to ask her what had just happened but Christen lifted her hand before she could make any comment.

"Don't."

She walked back to the car without a word and sat on the passenger side since Tobin was the one who knew where the motel was supposed to be. Tobin let the paper bag from the bakery on the backseat before getting into the car and starting it. She glanced at Christen when they stopped at a red light. The younger woman still hadn't said a word and was chewing on her lips, refusing to meet Tobin's gaze. So she kept driving in silence and only stopped at a grocery store close to the motel to get two beers and a water bottle. Christen stayed in the car, too embarrassed to do anything. They finished their short journey to the motel with the radio on. Tobin parked the car and went to get the room key at the front desk. The room was on the first floor and both girls carried their suitcases up the stairs. Tobin unlocked the door and tossed the keys on the desk against the wall.

A fan shuffled the stifling air filling the room. It was too hot, the red covers were too bright and the walls were too thin so Tobin decided to stay outside, on the balcony, for a while. Christen disappeared in the bathroom but she didn't stay for long when she realized that splashing cold water on her face wasn't as effective as she thought it'd be. She couldn't wash away her embarrassment anyway. On her way to meet Tobin outside, she picked the two beers on the desk.

She handed one bottle to Tobin, who uncapped it using the railings and repeated the action for Christen's beer. They somehow found a way to enjoy sipping lukewarm, bitter tasting alcohol while the sun set behind the motel's buildings, somewhere they couldn't see, and it made Tobin think of a bad teenage getaway. 

"I don't know what came over me," Christen blurted out after a while.

"Well, well, well. She speaks," Tobin smiled.

Christen ran a hand across her face and tugged a strand of hair behind her hear, looking for words. Tobin took pity on her friend who was clearly struggling to express herself.

"What did she say?"

Christen took a mouthful of beer and sighed, "She took great pleasure in reminding me how single and picky I am. Wait, what was it? 'A good thing you don't have so much of a personal life' or something along these lines."

"Nice," Tobin huffed. "So that's when you basically told her we were dating." 

The word made Christen cringed. "I didn't actually say it." Tobin raised her eyebrows and failed at holding back a smirk. "Alright, fine. That's what I meant," Christen caved in. "I'll tell her tomorrow that we're just good friends."

"Maybe she won't bring back the subject."

"Oh, trust me. She will."

Tobin shrugged and leaned on the railings. The beer, warmer now, became difficult to swallow but she kept taking small sips. They finished their drinks and went back inside to eat what Tobin had bought. It was almost six and she asked Christen if she wanted to go out to eat something else than a few muffins but the younger woman had lost her appetite. She decided to take a way-too-hot shower and breathed in the steam. It felt like it grazed her throat but somehow she found it soothing. When she returned to the room, Tobin was on her bed, watching a soccer game on TV. Christen let her fingers run through her damp hair.

"What was she talking about with you being stood up?"

Christen turned her head towards Tobin. She sat crossed-legged in the middle of her bed while Tobin looked at her, hoping the question didn't bother her.

"She was talking about that girl who stood me up in college. I didn't even remember about that," Christen admitted. "But that's the thing about Megan. She remembers every little detail and she waits for the right moment to bring them back."

Tobin stared at her, eyes wide open. "You got stood up?"

"Did you hear a word of what I said after that?" Christen rolled her eyes but smiled at Tobin's outrage. "And yeah, I did. Never happened to you?"

"No."

"Well, look at you, lady-killer," Christen said with a mocking smile but still impressed.

Tobin stayed silent, lost in her thoughts and mindlessly watched the game. When the whistle announced half-time, she let her head fall back against the headboard and sighed, "I just don't understand how someone could stand you up."

"Why are you still thinking about this?" Christen laughed.

She never got an answer but Tobin suddenly sat up on the edge of the bed and clapped her hands. "We're dating," she announced.

"What?"

"If you tell Megan we're friends, she's going to remember you lied and she'll add this to her list of people who stood you up or whatever."

Christen shook her head. "We are _not_ doing this."

"Yes we are. It'll just come back to bite you," Tobin said. "Own up to what you've done, Press," she added when Christen was about to protest.

Christen contemplated the idea for a minute and had to admit the midfielder was right. But most importantly, nothing would have made her happier than to shut the bride up, so to speak. She narrowed her eyes and asked Tobin, "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Are _you_?" Tobin challenged her.

Christen pointed to her chest, trying to appear offended by the question. "Me? Pff, obviously."

"Cool."

"Cool."

Christen slipped under the covers to watch the end of the soccer game. She commented a few actions along with Tobin who was way more invested in the game, judging by the number of times she threw her hands up or reacted loudly to a bad call. She quickly felt her eyelids becoming heavier, the lack of sleep kicking in.

Tobin, however, stayed wide awake, her arms crossed under her head. She had tried to be confident about her plan but she hadn't fully realized what it implied. Her cheeks had turned a bright red when she only had to put her hand on Christen's waist. If they wanted to sell it, she would have to be way more comfortable and credible than that. 


	3. blame it on the alcohol

When the sun slipped through the louver shutters, Christen had already hopped in the shower and the sound of the water stream woke Tobin up. She was the one who had had trouble sleeping this time. She didn't want to disappoint Christen and she had thought about everything that could potentially happen and how she had to behave around her friend to me it look believable. Christen's girlfriend - that was her identity for the weekend, nothing else. She plunged her face into her pillow and deeply sighted in the fabric that muffled her voice. When she heard the water stopped for a few seconds, Tobin got up from her bed and got closer to the bathroom door.

"I'm getting us breakfast," she announced, knocking lightly on the wooden door.

"Thank you," Christen said loudly.

Tobin heard some noise followed by a loud bang and a muttered "fuck".

"What do you wa-"

The water cut her off, echoing against the walls. Tobin sighed and went back to her bed to slip sweatpants on. She grabbed the car keys on the desk, in a movement that made them scratch the surface. The door didn't close behind her and it took her four attempts to finally shut it. It sets the tone of the day, Tobin thought as she dragged her feet to the car. She drove back to the bakery and if she was being honest it was looking for trouble since there was a chance for her to run into Megan again. So she stopped a little before the building and bought bagels and cream cheese on the street. Since they hadn't really ate the night before, she had to make an effort not to take a bite on the spot. On her way back to the motel, she stopped at a Starbucks to get them coffee.

It was still early and it was quiet somehow so Tobin took her time driving back. She opened the windows and let the fresh morning air brush her face while a song she had never heard played on the radio. Children, she thought, that's what they were. Adults wouldn't be here and certainly not faking a relationship because of a women they, or at least Tobin, barely knew. Lost in her thoughts, Tobin arrived at the motel quicker that she had expected. She got out of the car and got back to the room, the coffees, her keys and the bagels in the same hand and the fact that she opened the door with all the items still in her hand was miraculous.

"Hey," Christen said cheerfully. She quickly rose from her bed when she saw the wobbling pile Tobin was holding. "Wow, let me help you with that."

She rushed towards the midfielder and hold the coffee cups, waiting for Tobin to have a free hand. They both took a bagel out of the paper bag and Tobin hoped on the small desk while Christen leaned against the door. 

"When's the wedding exactly?" Tobin asked, taking a bite.

Christen wiped the bit of cream cheese at the corner of her mouth. "At four."

When Tobin realized they had time to kill, she asked, "Do you wanna go to the beach?" 

Christen squealed and Tobin thought she was going to spit her food as the noise took her by surprise and made her laugh.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Christen explained. "It's been a while since I've been there."

She finished her bagel in one last mouthful and opened the suitcase at the foot of her bed.

"You brought a swimsuit?"

"Always," Christen punctuated, showing the pieces of clothing to the other girl.

"Well," Tobin said, putting the now empty cup of coffee on the desk, "I'm ready when you are."

They took turn in the bathroom to get dressed and left a few minutes later, swimsuits, shorts and tank tops on. Tobin quickly drove them to the nearest beach which ended being relatively empty at that time in the morning. They walked in the sand, barefoot, until Christen stopped and laid the towel down. She let the bag they had brought fall next to it. She stripped out of her shorts and tank top under Tobin's unconscious appreciative gaze. Christen's insistent cough brought Tobin back to her senses.

Her cheeks a deep shade of pink, she scratched the back of her neck and pointed at Christen's swimsuit. "It looks good on you," she tried.

Truth is, Tobin wasn't even sure what color it was.

"Sure," Christen smirked.

They lay on the towel and stayed silent, Christen breathing in the sea breeze, a slight blush warming her cheeks. Tobin put her arm under her head and took a deep breath. She moved on the towel and tried to stay still and relax but the sound and the smell of the sea only made her want to do one thing.

"I kinda want to surf."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Christen asked, eyes closed.

"You really don't mind?" 

Christen lifted herself up on her elbow to face Tobin. "Of course not! Go," she said.

Tobin stood up, a bright smile on her lips. She squeezed Christen's shoulder as she left and walked away to the rental stores near the beach. The shop was empty and she asked for a board and a wetsuit. She didn't care about paying the full-day price even if she was going to use them for a good hour at most. She was too excited for that. The board tucked under her arm and the wetsuit thrown on her shoulder, she almost ran back to the beach. She slipped into the wetsuit and dragged the board to the water. Once she was far enough, she sat on the board and waited for some good waves to start paddling. When she pushed herself up on the board to feel it glide on the sea, she couldn't stop the beaming smile stretching her lips. Nothing bothered her at that moment. She forgot about everything and focused on the drops of water crashing on her cheeks, on the feeling of her legs guiding the board.

Christen had observed her since the first wave she had taken and she hesitated whether to join Tobin or to leave her alone. She was radiating happiness and fun and Christen wanted to have fun too. She left everything next to the towel - there was no one near them anyway - and she walked to the water. It was cold but nothing was worse than ice baths and it ended up not being as hard as she had thought it would be. She swam a little until Tobin saw her and came closer.

"Hop on," Tobin said, tapping the board.

"I don't know how to surf."

Tobin shrugged. "Doesn't matter, we don't have to." Christen shot her a questioning look. "Come _on_ , Press."

Tobin steadied the board the best that she could with her legs and held out her hand to Christen. She helped her as she sat in front of her.

"I'm taking you on a tour," Tobin announced in Christen's ear, with a beaming smile.

The forward laughed and leaned back against Tobin, almost throwing them off balance. She let Tobin paddle through the waves, sometimes letting the board glide by itself. Tobin tried her best but with Christen laughing and constantly moving on the board, it eventually turned over and both of them fell into the salty water. It took them so much time to get back on the board that Tobin only paddled a few more minutes before helping Christen getting down. The younger woman walked back the the towel on the beach and wrapped herself in another one.

Once her feet touched the sand, Tobin untied the leash at her ankle. She opened the suit and let it fall on her hips. Dragging the board with her, she joined Christen and sat down on the towel, letting her fingers run through her damp hair. Christen moved closer to her. She pushed away the strands of hair covering her shoulder and let her head rest there. They listened to the waves crashing on the sand until Christen spoke.

"Thank you." She kissed Tobin's shoulder. "For everything."

Tobin smiled, "You're welcome."

Christen sighed with content and checked the time on her phone. It was already past noon.

"Come on," she said, tapping on Tobin's arm, "let's go."

"Already?" Tobin pouted.

Christen gave her an apologetic smile and put her shirt and her shorts back on. She picked up the surfboard while Tobin did the same. Tobin quickly folded the towels and threw them into the bag they had brought. They went back to the rental store and paid for the surf gear. Along the street boarding the beach were a lot of different shops and restaurants. They decided it would be simpler to eat here and go back to the motel to get ready afterwards.

"Let's get salads, it'll be quick." Christen pointed at a restaurant close to them.

Tobin groaned, "Salads?"

"We've been eating nothing but bagels and muffins for the past twenty-four hours. This needs to stop," she warned.

"Chris..." Tobin trailed off, dragging her feet.

"No, there's no 'Chris'. Stop acting like a child." She grabbed Tobin's hand and the older woman had no other choice but to follow her to the small restaurant.

Before Tobin knew it, Christen had asked a table for two and she found herself with the menu in her hands. She had to admit some dishes seemed really good and partially forgave Christen but she still crossed her arms for good measure under Christen's amused eyes. She even let Christen choose for her but that was mostly because she trusted Christen's taste more than hers. 

"We should do that again sometimes," Christen said. "It was fun."

"I'll teach you how to surf."

"Actually, I know the basics," Christen admitted.

"But you told me- You _lied_."

Christen rolled her eyes. "I didn't feel like surfing, today. Or at least trying to."

Tobin leaned back in her chair and smirked. "You just wanted to go on a tour."

"You paddled through the sea, Tobin. That's all."

"It's the 'Tobin's special'."

Christen laughed heartily. "I don't know if I should feel flattered. Are you doing that for all the girls?"

"Only for you," Tobin said with an exaggerated wink.

They finished their meals talking about everything, from college stories about Megan to the upcoming NWSL season. When the time came to leave and pay for their lunch, Christen strictly forbade Tobin to pay but she faked going to the restroom and paid anyway. It earned her a slap at the back of her head followed by a quick kiss on the cheek when Christen realized what she had done, her hand covering her mouth.

They went back to the hotel and Christen left the bathroom to Tobin. She could feel the stress coming back, after it had disappeared during their time on the beach. She hold her breath while letting hot water run on her face and only took refilled her lungs with air when she felt her heart pound in her ears. She got out of the shower and wrapped her body in a towel before taking the time to dry her hair. Knowing they had a limited amount of time before going to the wedding, she decided to dress and do her makeup in the room and left the bathroom to Christen. She took her time and switch the TV on while getting ready.

When Christen got out of the bathroom the first time, in nothing but a towel, she asked Tobin to choose between two dresses she had picked.

When she got out of the bathroom the second time, hair in loose curls, a light makeup on and in a cream-colored dress, Tobin gulped and stared at her for too long without saying anything.

"Close you mouth, Heath. You're drooling," Christen joked, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"You.. uh- wow." Tobin laughed at her loss of words. "You look terrible, obviously," she shrugged nonchalantly and Christen punched her arm, laughing. "Seriously, you look beautiful. You always do, don't get me wrong, but this is something else."

Christen smiled. "Thank you. You look pretty nice yourself."

"I'm delighted to know my girlfriend thinks I look okay," Tobin chuckled.

Christen groaned and put her shoes on. She waited for Tobin to be all set to go and opened the door. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Tobin locked the door behind them and brought back the key to the front desk before joining Christen next to the car. She entered the address in the GPS and started the car. Christen spent the ride trying to find the worse radio stations to sing old bad songs and Tobin quickly joined her, making them both laugh. When the device announced they had arrived to their destination, Tobin entered the courtyard of a huge mansion with dozens of cars already parked. She found a spot next to a black SUV. She leaned back in her seat and looked at the mansion.

"It's bigger than Portland."

Christen rolled her eyes at Tobin's words and stopped the low voice of some bad country singer mid-song. 

"What were you expecting? Didn't the gilded arabesques on the invitation give anything away?"

"I had golden arabesques on my invitation cards for my eleventh birthday," Tobin said, mindlessly.

"And your point is?" 

"There's no point. I'm just trying to think about something else than this upcoming disaster."

Tobin opened the door and stepped out of the car. The only thing she saw was a wave of pastel silky dresses and black suits. She sighed and waited for Christen to join her and offered her her arm. "Ready?"

Christen nodded and accepted her arm. They had just made it on time so they followed the flood of people through the mansion. The house was imposing with large rooms and corridors, filled with people exchanging friendly words. They ended up in the backyard where some guests had already took place on the benches, placed there for the occasion. It didn't take long for all seats to be taken and for a soft music to be played, silencing everyone right away.

Even Christen had to admit the ceremony was beautiful. Quite unexpectedly, they had kept it pretty simple. Tobin and Christen had chosen to sit at the back but they could clearly see what was going on. Even the vows were simple and touching and Tobin was surprised to see a hint of a smile forming on Christen's lips.

The couple's families and their closest friends went to congratulate them while the rest of the guests went back inside, in the main room where a buffet had been set up with food and drinks. Christen greeted a few acquaintances, keeping the conversations short and basic. She then left Tobin in the corner of the room and told her she would go get them drinks. Tobin just stood there, dangling arms, with nothing to do. Until a blonde woman walked up to her, provoking a bunch of swears to form at the back of Tobin's throat. She tried to look away but the woman didn't stop until she was in front of Tobin.

"Tobin, right?" Megan asked with a bright smile and Tobin nodded. "Good to see you again."

"Same here," Tobin said, looking around for Christen but she was nowhere to be seen. "We didn't really have time to properly meet the other day."

Megan chuckled. "You guys seemed to be in a rush."

"Eventful week."

"I can imagine. You're a professional player too, right? Your face seems familiar." Tobin nodded. "National team as well?"

"Yes, it's been a few years now."

She glanced above Megan's shoulder but still no sign of Christen.

"Is that where you met Christen?"

"We crossed paths before but that's where we really met, yeah."

"Have you been together for a long time?"

Tobin tried to stay calm when she realized they hadn't talked about this before coming here. A bunch of amateurs, she thought. When the bride looked at her funny, she wondered if she had said it out loud and mentally slapped herself. Tobin tried to guess what Christen would have said but she quickly gave up. Megan wouldn't take the time to do a cross-examination anyway. This was ridiculous.

"We've uh..." Tobin started after taking a deep breath. 

She didn't get the chance to continue as Christen's voice came from behind. "Hey babe."

Tobin didn't have time to reply when she felt Christen's lips on her own. She forced herself to keep her eyes closed despite her surprise. The kiss was gentle but firm and if Tobin was sure of one thing - apart from the fact that Christen was great at what she was doing - it was that if the kiss looked as real as it felt then no one would question their relationship after that. 

When she opened her eyes, she had a cold glass of champagne in her hand and Christen's arm around her own.

"What were you guys talking about?" Christen inquired as if everything was completely normal.

"I just asked Tobin when your relationship had started."

"A few months ago. We were already good friends but there was something more to it, I guess," the younger woman shrugged.

Tobin tried to find Christen's eyes but she looked everywhere but at her. 

"Aren't you afraid of the damage that dating a teammate could cause? I mean, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, Christen, but you were more into meaningless flings than relationships. I hope you don't get your heart crushed too easily," Megan laughed, looking at Tobin.

The midfielder glanced at her friend's clenched jaw. "I don't."

Megan sighed, smiling. "This is so weird to see you like this, Christen. I guess some people change."

"And I guess some people don't," she bit back. "There are some friends I want you to meet, Tobin. You coming?" 

With that, she led Tobin as far away from the other woman as possible. She hadn't seen anyone in particular but that wasn't the case of another women who came up to them and quickly hugged Christen. From what Tobin understood, she had played on the soccer team with Christen back in the day and they were sitting at the same table for dinner. It seemed that everything about their previous encounter with Megan had been forgotten. They walked to their table and sat down along with a few other people Tobin had never seen. It turned out that the woman, named Kendall, was pretty funny and entertaining. She included Tobin in the conversation and didn't ask any questions about their so-called relationship. Christen stayed close to Tobin the whole time, always seeking some sort of physical contact. Was it because she wanted to be prepared in case Megan was watching or was it simply unconscious? That would remain a mystery.

Dinner went by rapidly, despite all expectations. A few speeches were made during desert but they barely paid attention. Their glasses were refilled and the music started to echo against the walls as people stood up to dance.

Everything went well but Tobin couldn't focus on anything since that kiss. She was aware of every single touch, of Christen's fingertips brushing against hers, of the feeling of Christen's skin under the palm of her hand when she put her arm around her shoulder. Things she had never noticed before and they had been around each other for a while now. Tobin shook her head and blamed it on the champagne. Sure, she had always found Christen pretty, attractive even, and the girl was a pleasure to be around. But it wasn't like _that_. She panicked for a second and finished her drink in one go. She excused herself from the table and found an empty room. The only thing she needed right know was someone to reassure her and tell her she was imagining things.

She dialed Kelley's number without really thinking about it twice. Her teammate was the reason she was here and was also one of Christen's best friends. Two reasons why she was the right person to call - or not. After the third ring, a voice that was definitely not Kelley's answered, "Hey, Tobin."

"Hi," she said, hesitantly. "Who's this?"

"Emily."

"Oh, right," Tobin sighed, somehow comforted it was someone she was familiar with. "What's up? Can you put Kelley on the phone?"

She cringed at the words leaving her mouth. She didn't want to sound rude but she had a limited amount of time.

"Can't."

"Why? Where is she?" 

No answers were coming from Emily and Tobin was about to add something when the younger woman finally talked.

"Shower." 

Tobin furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait, where are you guys?"

"In Atlanta."

"Yeah but where? At Kelley's?" Emily hummed in response. "Is her family coming over?"

"No, not that I know of."

Tobin barely held in her offended huff at Emily's confession. If Kelley had lied all along about her family reunion and was the reason Tobin found herself stuck in the awkward situation, she wasn't about to hear the end of it.

"Can you just tell her that I called?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. I'm sorry, I don't have much time. Talk to you later?" Tobin asked, apologetically.

Emily chuckled on the other end, "Don't sweat it, Tobs. I'll see you soon."

Tobin hung up and let out a deep sigh. She let her head fall against the door, her forehead meeting cold wood. She groaned and exited the room. She didn't want Christen to worry. When she returned to the main room and to their table, Christen quickly got to her feet and walked up to her.

"Hey, where were you?" Tobin tried to stutter an answer. "Wanna dance?"

"Um... sure, yeah," she said as Christen dragged her in the middle of the crowd.

Christen put her arms around Tobin's neck while the older woman let her hands rest on her hips. If she had doubt Christen's ability to make their romance believable, she realized she had been very wrong. 

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?" Christen asked, searching for her eyes. "Tell me if you're too uncomfortable and we'll stop right away."

"I'm fine."

They kept dancing for a while until Christen started to chew on lips while playing with the hair at the back of Tobin's neck. Before talking and so that no one around them could hear her, she got closer to Tobin's face until their foreheads almost touched.

"I'm sorry about the kiss," she whispered in her ear, her voice filled with honesty. "I should've asked you. I crossed a line."

Tobin shook her head and smiled. "It's fine."

"No, it's not. You're acting weird."

"I'm _fine_ ," Tobin said with a chuckle.

"Do you think she actually believes this?" Christen asked, moving her finger between their bodies.

"We're fine."

"Can you say anything else than "fine" preceded by every pronoun you can think of?"

The remark made Tobin chuckled. She wondered how Christen had managed to turn her into another version of Sonnett, unable to string three words together. 

Then it hit her.

She told Christen she'd go get them drinks and rushed to the same empty room as before. She dialed Kelley's number for the second time that day but for an entirely different conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's actually a girl named Kendall who played on the team with Christen, don't know anything about her though.
> 
> Let me know what you think :)


	4. i never said "in love"

Heading to the empty room, the only thing Tobin felt was anger. She could feel it running in her veins, her heart pounding fast and her fists almost clenched. This was all on Kelley. Surfing with Christen, pretending to date Christen, being unable to shake off Christen's taste and forget Christen's lips on her own. Kelley was the only one responsible for that.

When she closed the door behind her and locked it, she was already going through her contact list. She walked up and down the room, the ringing of her phone almost unbearable. Finally, someone answered.

"What is it with you calling me two hundred times, today?"

Tobin could feel Kelley's smirk through the phone and god, did it make her even angrier. She didn't bother to say so much as a hello and directly tackled the elephant in the room. 

"You bailed on Christen to sleep with Sonnett. And don't you _dare_ try to deny it, O'Hara."

"Wow there, Heath. Since when aren't we on a first name basis?"

"Since you're the reason I'm stuck at a wedding with Press and I'm making a fool of myself!"

"Wait. Pressi took  _you_  to the wedding?" Kelley asked, surprised. "Why?"

Tobin huffed at the question. She had the nerve to ask why. "I don't know, you tell me. How's your family doing?"

"Oh, it's cancelled because of a few delayed flights. They couldn't all make it," Kelley said as if it were the most obvious thing.

"How fucking convenient. Did Emily's flight got delayed too? For  _several days_?"

"I think you're reading a little too much into this, Toby. Sonnett and I are good friends, you know that."

"So I'm sure your good friend isn't dressed in Stanford gear from head to toe as we're talking." The two seconds it took Kelley to come up with a witty reply were enough for Tobin to know she had been right from the start. "You're unbelievable," she sighed.

"I literally haven't said a single thing confirming your far-fetched theory. You're making things up, man."  
  
Tobin chuckled without even a hint of humor in her tone. They had been friends long enough for Kelley to know something wasn't going as Tobin would've wanted.  
  
"Alright, spill. What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing."

Kelley stayed silent, not buying it but Tobin refused to talk so she added, "Am I supposed to believe that you called me twice within the hour to yell at me for a so-called relationship with Sonnett-"

"I never said relationship," Tobin cut her off.

"- for a so-called whatever you think is going on between us? You're acting weird, you're angry. Yes you _are_ ," Kelley asserted when she heard that Tobin was about to protest. "You're angry and something is off with you. So what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just- Whatever, forget about it."

"Tobin," Kelley warned her in a gentle tone.

Tobin leaned back against the wall and gave up. The reason why she had Kelley on the phone was to talk about what was going through her mind. Now was not the moment to back off. "Christen and I are pretending to be dating," she sighed.  
  
"What?" Kelley asked, dumbfounded. I wasn't the answer she expected. "Why?"  
  
"I don't know," Tobin groaned, running a hand across her face. "The bride tried to get on her nerves or something and she told her I was her date, like her _date_ date. And now, we have to pull this stupid thing off."  
  
Kelley barely let her finish. "Did you guys kiss?" She asked, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.  
  
"Why would you even ask me that?" Tobin let out an exasperated sigh. Of course, it had to be Kelley's first question. She should've known better.  
  
"Did you?"  
  
"Yes, she kissed me."  
  
Kelley squealed into the phone and Tobin put it away from her ear for a second. "Oh my god. Em's never going to believe this."

"Exactly, she won't believe it. And you know why? Because you're not going to tell her anything."

"Why not? This is hilarious," Kelley chuckled. Tobin stayed silent on the other end, clearly not as amused as her friend. "At least, admit it's a little bit funny."

"Not really, no."

"Come on, man, lighten up. It's a wedding! I mean sure Megan is a bit of a bitch and you're pretending to be in a relationship but there's free alcohol and you're with Press," Kelley said loudly and way too cheerfully for Tobin at the moment. Tobin's silence left her to think for a second before she asked, "So why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad."

"Fine. Not mad. Got it. What are we settling on then? Anxious? Panicked?"

"I feel... different, alright? And there's a high chance it's only because of the champagne so let's just forget about this."

"Different about what?" Tobin picked at her nails, not brave enough to say it out loud. Kelley took a guess, "About Press?" 

"Maybe."

"Tobs," Kelley drew out the nickname with a gentle chuckle and it gave Tobin the impression that Kelley was talking to a child. "Press is hot, nice and pretty amazing, I have to admit. You're tipsy, she kissed you and now you're scared you might have feelings for her because you enjoyed it." Tobin wondered how Kelley's words were supposed to comfort her but she was glad she didn't have to explain the situation. "Look, don't worry about this. Trust me, it's nothing. And whatever it is you're feeling right now, you won't even remember it tomorrow."

Kelley wasn't the one Tobin usually went to for advice or comfort. She was a great friend but she wasn't Tobin's go-to person when something went wrong. No, Kelley was fun. Kelley was all childish pranks and loud laughs and dirty jokes. But somehow, the assurance that emanated from her at that moment made Tobin realize she wouldn't have wanted anyone else on the other end.

Tobin sighed, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you for that. What time is it for you?"

"One in the morning but I couldn't sleep anyway. So, don't worry about it."

"Too bored now that you're alone?"

"I've said it once and I'll say it again. You're making things up."

"Whatever you say." Tobin looked at her phone screen to check for how long she had been calling Kelley. "Look, I should probably get back there."  
  
"Hey, Tobin? Can you tell Christen what happened? I don't want her to think I lied."  
  
"What's the official version?"  
  
"What I told you. Family reunion was cancelled. And I stayed with Sonnett in Atlanta."  
  
"To get laid."  
  
Kelley laughed heartily. "I don't understand your obsession with my sexual life. You're the one playing wifey with Press."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Tobin's annoyed voice turned into an exasperated sigh but she couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. A comfortable silence settled between them and even with two thousand miles keeping them apart, Tobin could have sworn she felt her friend's warmth next to her.  
  
"It wasn't planned," Kelley blurted out.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Her, staying at my place. I know you don't believe me but it wasn't planned."  
  
There was an unusual softness in Kelley's words that contrasted with her typical humor. Tobin let her head fall back against the wooden door, eyes shut. She knew Kelley wasn't one to let her friends down for a fling.  
  
"I believe you."

Tobin was about to add something else when a sudden knock on the door and a loud feminine voice startled her.

"Tobin?"

The firm knock turned into thumps and Tobin heard her name being called too many times.

"I really have to go, I'll call you later."

"Fine. But stop this whole 'stressing out because I think I'm in love with my teammate' phase," Kelley said so seriously that Tobin could see her pointing at her chest with a reprimanding glare. "Call me when you're back in Portland."

"I never said _in love_ ," Tobin groaned, a wave of anxiety washing over her. "Talk to you soon."

She quickly hung up and unlocked the door to meet Christen's worried features. She also didn't miss the darkness of Christen's eyes and the filled glass in her hand.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, it was just uh..." Tobin said, the phone still in her hand. She waved it around for Christen to see it. "A call I had to take."

"Nothing too serious?" Christen asked.

Tobin smiled and put her hands on Christen's shoulders to lead her back to the main room. "No, don't worry about it."

They joined Kendall who had herself found some good company in a few friends from her college days. Tobin stayed out of the conversation for the most part, smiling at the funny anecdotes and nodding at the more serious topics. Even if she didn't know what the topics were.

Eventually, three people out of their group of seven had to go, leaving only Tobin, Christen, Kendall and a man whose name Tobin didn't remember. They talked a bit more but soon enough decided to just dance and get a last glass of champagne - really, the last one. Maybe Christen should have stopped at the penultimate drink though, her feet now a little too heavy for her to move them at the music's rhythm. She hold onto Tobin more than necessary, with sometimes a hand around her neck, but it didn't really help. She had stopped talking too, every minute passing making it more difficult for her to turn her thoughts into actual words or, even worse, sentences.

According to Tobin, Christen was, without a doubt, completely intoxicated.

According to Christen herself, she was tipsy at most.

She kept telling Tobin she was feeling "absolutely fantastic" until Tobin decided it was enough. She dragged a grumpy Christen out of the room, asking Megan where they were supposed to stay for the night. The mansion had a great number of rooms and a part of the guests who had chosen to stay had been assigned one. Tobin was told to look on the list in the hall and so she did. She found it on a round table with different keys on the side. The paper said second floor and Tobin groaned, remembering only now that their suitcases were still in the car. She grabbed the key corresponding to their room and before her quick trip outside, she asked Christen to wait for her in the lobby.

A few seconds after that, she was holding a heavy suitcase in both hands and she wondered why she hadn't simply took a bag which would've been way enough for a trip that brief. Christen was sitting on the first steps when Tobin got back to the lobby. It took her longer than usual to stand up and Tobin hoped she wasn't going to have to help her up the stairs, the suitcases heavy enough. Somehow, they made it to the second floor pretty easily. Tobin's arms burned but at least Christen didn't fall or even trip.

Finding the room, however, was a whole new ballgame. Tobin knew she had seen it written on the paper but it was impossible for her to remember if it was the second room on the left or the fifth on the right or any other combination of number and side. After three failed attempts at opening wrong doors, the fourth try was successful. She unlocked the door and turned on the lights, quickly glancing at the room before locking it behind Christen.

Neutral colors and an inviting king-sized bed were the first things she saw. Everything was of a light beige or grey, from the bed cover to the walls to the bed lamp shades and she couldn't have been more thankful after a night spent in that bright red motel room. A door on the right wall was leading to a small bathroom and the only wish she had was to brush her teeth with to get rid of this feeling of a furred tongue. She let the suitcases down, went through hers to find her toothbrush, a shirt and shorts and she disappeared in the bathroom. It was as if the cold water splashed on her face had brought her back to life. She quickly changed into her pajamas to get back to Christen. The latter was sitting on the bed, her arms twisted in a confusing way, trying to take off her dress. Tobin snickered and walked up to her to help. She pushed Christen's hair aside and unzipped her dress, adverting her gaze from the skin that showed as best as she could. But Christen didn't really move and Tobin understood that she either wasn't planning to or simply couldn't.

She decided to help her change and she spotted her UNC shirt on the bed. She smiled; she had really kept it. It took them a few attempts to get Christen out off her dress and when they finally did, she looked a little pale.

"You're not going to be sick, are you?" Tobin asked, placing the blue shirt above Christen's head and waiting for her to slip it on.

Christen shook her head, a proud smile plastered on her face. 

"I never throw up from drinking," she said, putting her arms in the sleeves.

"Sure about that?" Tobin chuckled.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Christen said as she slipped under the covers, giving up on putting pants on.

Before going to bed as well, Tobin went back to the bathroom to find something she could place next to the bed, just in case Christen would be sick. She came back empty handed and gave up, too tired to search the room for something adequate. She got into the bed and sighed contently, enjoying the warmth of the sheets and the peace and quiet. She cogitated about her earlier phone conversation and she tried to convince herself that Kelley was right. This whole trip - and Christen's dress - had messed with her head. She just needed a good night sleep and everything would be back to normal.

Christen's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I'm not usually like this, you know."

Tobin propped herself up on her elbow, smiling at the vision she had in front of her. Christen was half-lying on her stomach, her dark hair tied up in the messiest ponytail Tobin had ever seen on her. She was fighting to keep her eyes open and they kept fluttering every few seconds. Tobin whispered, "I know."

"I'm not childish. Or proud. I don't care about what people think of me. I mean, I do sometimes but not like that. I do my own thing," she stuttered, tapping her chest with her finger. "I'm not like this."

Tobin let out a "shhh", letting her head lean on her hand. She tucked a strand of hair behind Christen's ear and she tried to shake off the feeling of her hand trembling a little.

"That was over the line. I'm sorry I dragged you into this," Christen said as she let her fingers graze Tobin's wrist. "I fucked up, didn't I?"

Tobin immediately shook her head at Christen's words. "No, of course not."

"Don't lie to me." Christen grabbed Tobin's wrist, looking up at her. "You've been acting weird ever since..." She trailed off.

"You took me off guard," Tobin insisted. "That's all."

"I don't want to lose you because of something so stupid."

"You're not going to lose me," Tobin chuckled, looking fondly at her. "Now try to get some sleep, you're thinking too much."

Christen nodded, mumbling something Tobin didn't quite understand. She breathed heavily and curled up into Tobin's side, her breath tickling the older woman's neck.

"I'm not usually like this," she murmured once again into the fabric of Tobin's shirt. 

Tobin waited for Christen's breathing to slow down, her arm around Christen's shoulder.

"Me neither," she said before turning off the bedside lamp.

xxx

Pressure on her arm is what woke Christen up. She felt a hot breath on the back of her neck and tried to turn around but Tobin's arm prevented her from doing so. Christen rubbed her eyes and yawned. Her eyes burned and her head felt as if it had been stamped on, multiple times. She extirpated herself from Tobin's hold and stumbled towards the bathroom, dragging her feet. She took a quick shower, hoping it would make her headache disappear. It didn't. She drank a glass of water and let the cold liquid run down her hands before pressing them on her cheeks and forehead. Her head still pounding, she went back to the bedroom even more tired then before. She searched for some aspirin in her bag and when she finally found it, she swallowed the pill without drinking anything. As if her head wasn't enough, her throat was now burning.

She decided to go back to bed and sleep some more but she hadn't noticed Tobin's open eyes when she let her head fall into the pillow.

"How's your head?" Tobin asked, her voice raspy from sleep.

"Hurts," Christen groaned.

She closed her eyes and waited for the sweet deliverance of sleep but it never came. She didn't have that much to drink but it felt like one of the worst hangovers she had gone through in a while. She broadly remembered the night before but she judged it better to ask Tobin if nothing had gone wrong.

"How annoying was I? I can be a real pain in the ass when I'm drunk."

"Aren't you always?" Tobin asked with a playful smile.

"I'm serious, Tobin."

"Well," Tobin started, one finger under her chin, "except for the fact that I had to tuck you into bed and that you slept on me, you were alright."

"Is that it?" Christen asked, unsure.

"Isn't that enough?"

Christen groaned and turned her back to her friend. "God, you're annoying."

"I wasn't so annoying last night, was I?"

The question was meant to be teasing, to annoy Christen just a little more. But Tobin's voice betrayed an unconscious uneasiness, a certain fragility that stopped Christen in her movement and she rolled back to face Tobin again. She didn't want to put Tobin on the spot so she decided to play along.

"You were alright," she shrugged, echoing Tobin's previous words.

The midfielder smiled and mouthed a "good to know" before closing her eyes. Christen wondered if whether or not she should move closer to Tobin and pull her into a hug. She remembered the rapid conversation between them before she fell asleep. Christen had a vivid memory of Tobin asserting she was alright but she didn't want to push her boundaries in case she had lied. She ended up letting her head rest on Tobin's shoulder and linked their arms. Tobin stiffened at first and tried not to move but Christen snuggled closer to her and traced imaginary lines on her arm. She quickly sighed with content and let her body relax under Christen's touch.

Kelley had been wrong. Whatever she had felt the night before was still making her heart beat a little faster than it should've. Christen snuggled in her side in the middle of the night, her arm drapping her waist and her head on her chest hadn't help. Tobin had already slept closely with friends. Cheney had hold her after she had cried herself to sleep on a particularly rough day. She had shared a single bed with Kling after a drinking party. But it never felt weird or different. It never felt as if she was spending a night with a girl she had a crush on in high school. She took a deep breath and tried to block her thoughts which were already giving her a headache.

They fell into a comfortable silence until Christen mumbled into Tobin's shoulder, "My head is going to explode."

Tobin chuckled and put her hand on Christen's forehead, which wasn't hot or anything alarming. "Leave the aspirin to work. You'll feel better soon."

Christen sighed heavily and hid her face in the crook of Tobin's neck. If only aspirin could work faster.

"I'm getting old. I didn't even drink that much."

"Are you kidding?" Tobin asked, louder than she had intended to. "You were trashed."

"Please, Tobin, don't be dramatic. It wasn't _that_ bad."

"I had to change you into your pajamas and I almost dragged you upstairs," Tobin reminded her. "You were far from alright."

"Whatever. It was just champagne."

"So? The almighty Christen Press can't get drunk on champagne?" Tobin asked with a smirk.

"She couldn't," Christen said. "But apparently things have changed."

"Too bad we didn't hang out in college, that would've been fun."

"That would've been terrible," Christen stated and Tobin raised her eyebrows, waiting for an explanation. "I already had to take care of Kelley. You two would have been too much."

The mention of her teammate's name reminded Tobin of a conversation she wanted to forget. But she also remembered Kelley had asked her to tell Christen what happened.

"Tobin?" Christen asked when the other woman stayed silent.

"Sorry, I just remembered something," Tobin smiled. "Yesterday. Remember the phone call?" Christen nodded. "That was Kelley. Her family reunion didn't happen. They couldn't all make it and she spent a few days in Atlanta instead."

Christen looked at the ceiling for a few seconds. "She was really looking forward to it. Too bad they cancelled it." She propped herself up on her elbow to face Tobin. "So it was her you had on the phone for so long?"

"Yep."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Christen asked, confused.

Tobin shrugged because really, she didn't even know herself. There were no reasons why she couldn't have told Christen it was Kelley without mentioning the subject of discussion.

"So, what did you guys had to say that was so interesting that you abandoned me for twenty minutes?" She asked, trying to sound reproachful but miserably failing.

Tobin swallowed with difficulty and felt her cheeks heat up. Christen gasped excitedly and hit her shoulder.

"Tobin Heath, what are you keeping from me?"

"Nothing," Tobin vigorously shook her head.

"Your cheeks and neck just turned crimson. What's up?"

"Nothing."

Christen narrowed her eyes, trying to catch Tobin's. "Are you seeing someone?"

Tobin kept shaking her head no. What had she just done? She couldn't possibly make something up right now and Christen knew she wasn't telling her everything. So she did the first thing that came to her mind and put it on Kelley.

"It's not me, alright? It's Kelley."

"What about Kelley?" Christen asked, narrowing her eyes, clearly unconvinced. "She's the one with a mysterious secret someone? Because we both know Kelley doesn't really do 'secret'."

Tobin sighed, "I'm not sure." Christen waited for her to continue. "She's with Sonnett in Atlanta. At her place."

"With Emily?"

"No, with her twin," Tobin rolled her eyes. "Yes, Emily."

"And you think," Christen started, pointing at Tobin, "that something is going on between the two of them?"

Tobin put her arm under her head. "I know, it's dumb."

"Well, I mean, they're as thick as thieves so I'm not surprised they're hanging out together. But who knows, right?"

"Right."

Christen taped Tobin's nose. "Do you want to come to my place?"

"What?" Tobin asked, surprised by the sudden change of subject.

"Do you want to come to LA for a few days?" Christen rephrased. "The house is near the beach, you can surf whenever you want to."

Tobin gave her an apologetic smile. "I'll have to take a rain check on that. Cheney's coming to Portland with her kid."

"Sure, yeah, no problem." Christen brushed the idea away with her hand. "Some other time then."

"Definitely. I mean, a beach house? You know I won't let that proposition go away."

Christen smiled and put her fist forward, waiting for Tobin to give her a fist-bump, sealing their agreement.

"Come on now," Tobin said, pushing away the covers and sitting on the edge of the bed, "let's go."

She went to the bathroom to take a quick shower while Christen changed into jeans and a shirt, picking up her dress that had been left on the floor. She folded it the best she could and put it in her suitcase before closing it.

She heard Tobin say loudly, "At what time is your flight?"

"Around 2 p.m.", Christen replied, not sure of the exact time. "You?"

"At two thirty."

Fifteen minutes later, Tobin came out of the bathroom, dressed in sweatpants and a Nike shirt, her hair a little damp. She did the same thing as Christen, gathering all her stuff and throwing it mindlessly in her suitcase.

"Good to go?" Tobin asked.

Christen pointed at her bare feet. "Shoes."

Tobin nodded, "Shoes." 

She put on her sneakers, stepping on the heels until her feet slipped it and Christen groaned at the way the back of the shoes unnaturally folded. They finally made their way out and went down the stairs much more smoothly than the night before. There were bags in the hallway and people already leaving. They walked to the room where they had had dinner to say goodbye to their host. No more than twenty people were in the room, talking in small groups around a cup of coffee or a pastry.

"Look at our lovebirds," Megan suddenly said on their right, coming in the room. "Spent a good night?" She winked at them and Christen rolled her eyes.

"Fantastic."

"Coffee?" The bride asked, leading them to a table and pouring two cups of coffee.

Tobin took one and thanked her, grabbing a croissant at the same time. Christen just sipped her coffee, refusing every type of food that came her way. She was still feeling a bit sick and didn't want to risk anything. They ate and drank quickly, Christen exchanging a few words with people Tobin still didn't know. When the time came to leave, they went to the hallway to take their suitcases. Megan was waiting in the room, waving at a couple who had just left. She threw her arms up as she saw them.

"Leaving so soon? You can stay with us for lunch."

"No," Christen said immediately, her voice too harsh. Hearing the sound of her own voice, she added, "We still have some things to take care of and we can't miss our flights."

She forced a smile at Megan who asked, "You're not taking the same plane?"

Christen stammered something but Tobin came to her rescue. 

"I'm visiting a friend," she explained.

Megan nodded, "Great. Well, be safe. And maybe next time we'll see each other it'll be the other way round. I'll be waiting for your wedding invitation."

"Christen would like to keep it small so we'll see about that. But we'll definitely see you around, Megan," Tobin said quickly, grabbing her suitcase and making her way outside, Christen on her heels.

At the second Christen stepped into the car, she let out a deep sigh and said to Tobin, raising her eyebrows, "Christen would like to keep it small?"

"What? I saved your ass."

"Christen would like to keep it small," she repeated, trying to imitate Tobin's voice.

Tobin laughed and started the car, driving them back to the rental store. Within the hour, they had paid for the car and they had made their way back to the airport. It was around noon so Christen suggested getting something to eat. She felt better and her stomach started to growl. She simply took a salad while Tobin chose the first sandwich she had seen and this time, Christen beat Tobin to checkout and paid. When the time came for Christen to go, she pulled Tobin in a bone-crushing hug.

She said in her ear, "Thank you." She took a step back and put her hands on Tobin's shoulder. "Really."

"Sure, it was nice."

Christen let out a forced laugh. "What was? Drunk me? Stupid me?"

"Not everything's about you, Press," Tobin teased her and Christen gave her shoulder a light punch. "And I got to surf and meet some of your friends, it's cool."

"Yeah?" Christen asked, her head down.

"Yeah, I mean, we had fun, right?"

Christen looked up to see a smiling Tobin and she immediately felt relieved. Tobin took her hands in her own and started to swing their arms to match an imaginary rhythm.

"You had better moves last night," she joked.

"Ugh, I don't even want to remember what I did last night."

Tobin laughed heartily and let go of Christen's hand. She sighed and picked her phone from the table to check the time.

"You should go, you're going to miss your flight."

"Just tell me you want to get rid of me, Heath," Christen laughed, ruffling Tobin's hair. "Say hi to Lauren for me?"

"Sure thing. Text me when you're home."

Christen nodded and smiled a last time before walking away. Tobin leaned back in her chair and let her head rest against the wall on her left, watching Christen's figure disappear in the airport. For a second, she was tempted to change her ticket and get one to Los Angeles, the promise of Christen's beach house - and just Christen in general, if she was being honest - lingering in her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this chapter and thank you for the comments!


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